Key developments on March 4:
- US suspends Ukraine military aid to pressure Zelensky into talks, Trump adviser says
- US, Ukraine plan to sign mineral deal on March 4, Reuters reports
- Zelensky says White House clash 'regrettable,' proposes steps for peace
- Ukrainian drones reportedly strike oil refinery in Russia's Samara Oblast
- Ukraine strikes Russian military facility in Kursk Oblast, kills up to 30 troops, General Staff reports
- Kremlin says Trump policy shift 'largely aligns' with Russia’s interests
The U.S. has suspended military aid to Ukraine as part of a pressure campaign to push Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky toward negotiations with Russia, U.S. President Donald Trump’s senior adviser Jason Miller told CNN on March 4.
"President Trump is the only person, the only person talking about stopping the killing, and sometimes leaders can use the carrot, sometimes they can use the stick," Miller said.
Several media outlets reported that Trump ordered an immediate halt to all military aid to Ukraine on March 4, affecting over $1 billion in weapons and ammunition deliveries.
Miller claimed that Trump was using strong tactics to reinforce his demand for peace talks and that he expects Zelensky to "get back to the table."
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed that American military aid had indeed been suspended, citing Polish border reports. "This is an emergency," Tusk said.
Polish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pawel Wronski added that the U.S. had not consulted with any of its NATO allies before suspending the aid.
The move follows a heated Oval Office meeting on Feb. 28 between Trump, Zelensky, and U.S. Vice President JD Vance, which ended with the cancelation of a planned U.S.-Ukraine mineral agreement.
Since the meeting, some U.S. officials and Republican lawmakers have escalated their criticism of Zelensky, with some even suggesting he should resign.
According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, the U.S. has provided $119.8 billion in aid to Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, including $67.1 billion in military aid, $49 billion in financial aid, and $3.6 billion in humanitarian support.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
US, Ukraine plan to sign mineral deal on March 4, Reuters reports
The U.S. and Ukraine are preparing to sign a mineral deal on March 4, according to Reuters, citing sources familiar with the matter.
The sources indicated that U.S. President Donald Trump plans to announce the agreement during his upcoming address to Congress.
However, they cautioned that the situation remains fluid and could still change.
President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Feb. 28 visit to the White House was originally intended to finalize the long-debated agreement on jointly developing Ukraine’s mineral resources.
The meeting instead turned into a public clash, with Trump and U.S. Vice President JD Vance berating Zelensky. The Ukrainian president later left the White House without signing the deal.
Following the talks, Trump accused Zelensky of "disrespecting" the U.S. in the Oval Office and said the Ukrainian president "is not ready for peace."
Zelensky later called the fallout "regrettable" and reaffirmed Ukraine’s readiness to sign the mineral and security agreement "at any time and in any convenient format."
The report comes after Trump reportedly ordered an immediate halt to more than $1 billion in U.S. military aid to Ukraine on March 4.
Since the dispute, some Republican lawmakers have ramped up criticism of Zelensky, with some suggesting he may need to step aside.
Zelensky’s White House visit was preceded by weeks of tense negotiations as Ukraine rejected the initial two draft proposals, arguing they imposed one-sided obligations on Kyiv without any security commitments from Washington.
The final agreement is expected to establish a fund to which Ukraine will contribute 50% of the proceeds from the future monetization of state-owned mineral resources, including oil, gas, and logistics infrastructure.
Zelensky’s refusal to sign the initial draft, presented by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Kyiv on Feb. 12, prompted the U.S. President to lash out publicly.
Trump denounced Zelensky as a "dictator," falsely accusing him of refusing to hold elections and echoing Kremlin disinformation about his legitimacy.
Zelensky says White House clash 'regrettable,' proposes steps for peace
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on March 4 that his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House "did not go the way it was supposed to be," calling the fallout "regrettable."
The statement follows days of mounting pressure from Washington, with senior U.S. officials signaling that Zelensky should apologize for the heated Feb. 28 Oval Office exchange with Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
The meeting ended without a planned U.S.-Ukraine mineral agreement being signed.
Zelensky reaffirmed that Ukraine is ready to sign the agreement on minerals and security "at any time and in any convenient format."
"We see this agreement as a step toward greater security and solid security guarantees, and I truly hope it will work effectively," he posted on X.
Zelensky also responded to Trump's latest criticism of his comments on March 2, in which he described peace negotiations as being in the earliest stages and a final deal as "very, very far away."
Trump seized on the remarks as alleged proof that Zelensky does not want peace, posting on Truth Social that "America will not put up with it for much longer."
"Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer. Nobody wants peace more than Ukrainians," Zelensky said.
He suggested that the initial steps toward de-escalation could include prisoner of war (POWs) releases, a "truce in the sky" banning missiles, long-range drones, and bombs targeting civilian infrastructure, as well as a "truce at sea."
"Then we want to move very fast through all next stages and to work with the U.S. to agree a strong final deal," Zelensky added.
The remarks come as several media outlets reported that Trump ordered an immediate freeze on all military aid to Ukraine on March 4, halting over $1 billion in weapons and ammunition deliveries.
Trump's senior adviser, Jason Miller, told CNN that the aid suspension is part of a pressure campaign to push Zelensky into negotiations with Russia.
U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz told Fox News on March 3 that Washington expects Zelensky to show "regret" for the Oval Office dispute and commit to signing the mineral deal.
Chris York
Ukrainian drones reportedly strike oil refinery in Russia's Samara Oblast
Ukrainian drones attacked an oil refinery in the city of Syzran in Russia's Samara Oblast overnight on March 4, Andrii Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation, said.
The first explosions occurred around 3 a.m. local time, according to local residents. A fire broke out at the facility as a result.
Samara Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev later said that drones attacked "one of the Syzran industrial enterprises" without providing more details. Russian forces downed drones, and there were no casualties, Fedorishchev claimed.
The Kyiv Independent could not immediately verify the claims.
Drones attacked Russian Syzran oil refinery in Samara Region, locals report an explosion. A year ago, drones hit the same site, sparking a fire. No official details on the latest incident yet. pic.twitter.com/I0hJs85WW4
— Iuliia Mendel (@IuliiaMendel) March 4, 2025
The Syzran Oil Refinery, lying around 700 kilometers (430 miles) from the Russia-Ukraine border, was opened in 1942 and belongs to the Russian state-owned oil company Rosneft.
The refinery has a capacity of 8.9 million tons of oil per year. It produces fuel, aviation kerosene, and bitumen, as well as processes crude oil from Western Siberia and Samara Oblast, according to Kovalenko.
Drones earlier attacked the Syzran Oil Refinery on Feb. 19.
Ukraine considers Russian oil facilities to be valid military targets, as fossil fuel profits supply Moscow's war machine. The Ukrainian military has launched repeated attacks against Russian refineries with long-range drones.
Kollen Post
Ukraine strikes Russian military facility in Kursk Oblast, kills up to 30 troops, General Staff reports
Ukraine's Air Force struck a military facility near Troitskoye in Russia's Kursk Oblast on March 4, destroying dugouts and firing positions and killing up to 30 Russian military personnel, according to Ukraine's General Staff.
The facility was reportedly used for planning attacks, including launching first-person-view (FPV) drones at Ukrainian positions. The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify these claims.
"Ukraine's Defense Forces remain ready to continue operations targeting Russian military facilities until the Russia ceases its armed aggression against the Ukrainian people," the statement read.
Ukraine launched a surprise cross-border incursion into Kursk Oblast in August 2024, initially capturing about 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) of Russian territory.
While Ukrainian forces have lost roughly half that area since, they recently advanced 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) in a new offensive.
Over six months of fighting in the region, Russian casualties have reached nearly 40,000, including over 16,000 killed, Ukraine's General Staff reported in February.
Ukraine is likely using its foothold in Kursk Oblast as leverage in potential peace talks. President Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier that the offensive disrupted Russia's ability to conduct large-scale operations in northeastern and southern Ukraine.
Russian forces in Kursk Oblast have been reinforced by North Korean troops, deployed last fall to counter Ukraine's cross-border operations.
Yana Prots
Kremlin says Trump policy shift ‘largely aligns’ with Russia’s interests
U.S. President Donald Trump’s heated Oval Office meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky signals a major shift in U.S. foreign policy, one that a Kremlin spokesman says "largely aligns" with Russia’s interests.
Trump’s recent stance on Ukraine, including his public rebuke of Zelensky and reported halt on U.S. military aid to Kyiv, has drawn praise from Russian officials while raising concerns among European allies.
Since taking office, Trump has distanced the U.S. from its traditional role as Ukraine’s primary supporter, instead questioning Kyiv’s commitment to peace and implying that Ukraine shares blame for the ongoing war.
His administration’s position has prompted Russian officials to express optimism about a potential thaw in U.S.-Russia relations. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told state television on March 3 that "the new administration is rapidly changing all foreign policy configurations," calling the shift a positive development for Moscow.
During the Oval Office meeting on Feb. 28, Trump and Vice President JD Vance accused Zelensky of failing to show gratitude for U.S. support and warned that his refusal to negotiate with Putin could escalate into a broader conflict.
In response, European leaders reaffirmed their commitment to Ukraine, denouncing Russia’s invasion and calling for continued Western military aid. The divergence in approach has raised questions about the future of U.S. support for Kyiv.
Russian officials have openly praised Trump’s stance, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov calling him "the first, and so far, the only Western leader" to acknowledge what Moscow considers the true cause of the war. Other Kremlin figures, including the deputy chair of Russia’s Security Council, applauded Trump for taking a harsher tone toward Zelensky, even labeling Ukraine’s leader a "dictator."
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested that once the war ends, Washington and Moscow could pursue "potentially historic economic partnerships," including cooperation on Arctic development and rare earth mining.
Brooke Manning
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